John Chrysostom, On Timothy

food and covering, with these we shall be content; but concerning wives, Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement; and again, Come together again. And often you might see him legislating about lawful intercourse. And he allows one to enjoy this desire, and to approach a second marriage, and he takes great care of the matter, and nowhere punishes for this; but the one who desires money, he condemns everywhere. And concerning money, Christ commanded in many places to flee the ruin that comes from it; but concerning abstinence from a wife, not so. For hear what He says concerning money: Unless a man renounces all his possessions. Nowhere did He say, Unless a man renounces his wife; for He knows what a tyranny he has implanted. And this blessed one says: Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled. Nowhere does he call the care of money honorable, but the opposite. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires. He did not say, To be covetous, but, To be rich. But so that you may learn also from common notions, it is necessary to bring this argument forward. For someone who has been completely deprived of money would no longer be troubled by the desire; for nothing makes one desire money so much as having money. But in the case of the desire of bodies it is not so, but even many who have been made eunuchs have not cast off the fire that troubles them within; for the desire lies in other organs, being implanted within in nature. For what reason then have these things been said by us? Because the covetous are more intemperate than fornicators, inasmuch as they are troubled by a lesser desire; or rather, the matter is not even of desire, but of indolence. For in this case, the desire is so natural that even if a man does not approach a woman, nature does and works its own part; but in that case nothing of the sort happens. And that we should live piously, he says, in this present age. And what is the hope? What is the prize for the labors? Awaiting, he says, the blessed hope and appearing. For truly nothing is more blessed than that, nothing more to be emulated; and words cannot represent these things; for the good things of that time surpass the mind. Awaiting, he says, the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior. Where are those who say the Son is less than the Father? Of the great, he says, God and Savior. He who saved his enemies, what will he not do then when he receives them [not] being well-pleasing? Of the great, he says, God. When he says "great" of God, he does not say great in relation to something, but absolutely great, after whom there could not be a greater, since that would be in relation to something. If it were in relation to something, it would be by comparison, and not great by nature; but now He is incomparably great. Who gave Himself for us, he says, that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, that is, chosen, having nothing in common with the rest. Zealous for good works. Do you see that there is need also of things from 62.691 us. Not simply of works, but zealous, that is, approaching virtue itself with much eagerness, with fitting vehemence. Therefore, to deliver those who were burdened with evils and incurably sick was of His loving-kindness; but the things after this are both of us and of Him. These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. -These things speak and exhort. γʹ. Do you see how he commands Timothy, and says, "Reprove, rebuke, exhort"; but here, "These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority"? Since the character of these men was harder, for this reason he commands him to rebuke them sharply and with all authority. For there are sins which one must also restrain with commands; for example, one must persuade by admonishing to despise money, and to be gentle, and such things; but the adulterer, the fornicator, the covetous man with authority to the

διατροφὰς καὶ σκεπάσματα, τούτοις ἀρκεσθησόμεθα· περὶ δὲ τῶν γυναικῶν, Μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, εἰ μή τι ἂν ἐκ συμφώνου· καὶ πάλιν, Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συνέρχεσθε. Καὶ πολλάκις ἴδοις ἂν αὐτὸν περὶ συνουσίας νομοθετοῦντα τῆς νομίμου. Καὶ ταύτης μὲν ἀφίησιν ἀπολαύειν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ δευτέρῳ προσιέναι γάμῳ, καὶ πολλὴν ποιεῖται τοῦ πράγματος τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ὑπὲρ τούτου κολάζει· τὸν δὲ χρημάτων ἐφιέμενον, πανταχοῦ καταδικάζει. Καὶ περὶ μὲν χρημάτων ὁ Χριστὸς πολλαχοῦ διέταξεν, ὥστε φεύγειν τὴν ἐντεῦθεν λύμην· περὶ δὲ ἀποχῆς γυναικὸς, οὐχ οὕτως. Ἄκουε γὰρ τί φησι περὶ χρημάτων· Ἐὰν μή τις ἀποτάξηται πᾶσιν αὑτοῦ τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν. Οὐδαμοῦ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν μή τις ἀποτάξηται γυναικί· οἶδε γὰρ οἵαν ἐνέθηκε τὴν τυραννίδα. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος οὗτός φησι· Τίμιος ὁ γάμος, καὶ ἡ κοίτη ἀμίαντος. Οὐδαμοῦ τιμίαν τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιμέλειαν καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐναντίον. Οἱ δὲ βουλόμενοι πλουτεῖν ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς πειρασμὸν καὶ παγίδα καὶ ἐπιθυμίας πολλὰς ἀνοήτους καὶ βλαβεράς. Οὐκ εἶπε, Πλεονεκτεῖν, ἀλλὰ, Πλουτεῖν. Ἵνα δὲ μάθητε καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον εἰς μέσον παραγαγεῖν. Χρημάτων μὲν γάρ τις καθάπαξ ἀποστερηθεὶς οὐκέτ' ἂν ἐνοχλοῖτο ὑπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω ποιεῖ χρημάτων ἐπιθυμεῖν, ὡς τὸ χρήματα ἔχειν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς τῶν σωμάτων ἐπιθυμίας οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καὶ εὐνουχισθέντες πολλοὶ τὴν ἔνδον ἐνοχλοῦσαν πυρὰν οὐκ ἀπέβαλον· ἡ γὰρ ἐπιθυμία ἐν ἑτέροις κεῖται ὀργάνοις, ἔνδον ἐν τῇ φύσει ἐγκειμένη. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἡμῖν ταῦτα εἴρηται; Ὅτι οἱ πλεονέκται τῶν πορνευόντων ἀκολαστότεροι, ὅσῳ ὑπὸ ἐλάττονος ἐνοχλοῦνται ἐπιθυμίας· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐπιθυμίας τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ ῥᾳθυμίας. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπιθυμία φυσικὴ, ὥστε κἂν γυναικί τις μὴ πλησιάζῃ, ἡ φύσις τὸ αὑτῆς ποιεῖ καὶ ἐργάζεται· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον γίνεται. Καὶ εὐσεβῶς, φησὶ, ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι. Καὶ τίς ἡ ἐλπίς; τί τὸ ἔπαθλον τῶν πόνων; Προσδεχόμενοι, φησὶ, τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν. Ὄντως γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐκείνης μακαριώτερον, οὐδὲν ζηλωτότερον· καὶ ταῦτα λόγοι παραστῆσαι οὐ δύνανται· καὶ γὰρ νοῦν ὑπερβαίνει τὰ τότε ἀγαθά. Προσδεχόμενοι, φησὶ, τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν. Ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐλάττονα τὸν Υἱὸν λέγοντες; Τοῦ μεγάλου, φησὶ, Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος. Ὁ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς σώσας, τί οὐκ ἐργάσεται τότε [οὐκ] εὐδοκιμοῦντας λαβών; Τοῦ μεγάλου, φησὶ, Θεοῦ. Τὸ μέγας ἐπὶ Θεοῦ ὅταν λέγῃ, οὐ πρός τι μέγας φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἀπολύτως μέγας, μεθ' ὃν οὐκ ἂν εἴη μέγας, ἐπεὶ πρός τι ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ πρός τι, κατὰ σύγκρισιν, καὶ οὐ φύσει μέγας· νῦν δὲ ἀσυγκρίτως μέγας. Ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, φησὶν, ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, τουτέστιν, ἐξειλεγμένον, οὐδὲν ἔχοντα κοινὸν πρὸς τοὺς λοιπούς. Ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ τῶν παρ' 62.691 ἡμῶν δεῖ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔργων, ἀλλὰ ζηλωτὴν, τουτέστι, μετὰ προθυμίας πολλῆς ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἰόντα τὴν ἀρετὴν, μετὰ σφοδρότητος τῆς προσηκούσης. Τὸ μὲν οὖν βεβαρημένους τοῖς κακοῖς καὶ ἀνίατα νοσοῦντας ἀπαλλάξαι, τῆς ἐκείνου φιλανθρωπίας ἦν· τὰ δὲ, μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐκείνου. Ταῦτα λάλει καὶ παρακάλει, καὶ ἔλεγχε μετὰ πάσης ἐπιταγῆς. -Ταῦτα λάλει καὶ παρακάλει. γʹ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς Τιμοθέῳ μὲν προστάττει, καί φησιν, Ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ταῦτα λάλει καὶ παρακάλει, καὶ ἔλεγχε μετὰ πάσης ἐπιταγῆς; Ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἦθος τούτων σκληρότερον ἦν, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀποτόμως καὶ μετὰ πάσης ἐπιταγῆς ἐλέγχειν ἐπιτάττει. Ἔστι γὰρ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ἃ καὶ ἐπιτάγμασιν ἀπείργειν χρή· οἷον, τὸ μὲν χρημάτων καταφρονεῖν παραινοῦντας δεῖ πείθειν, καὶ τὸ ἐπιεικεῖς εἶναι, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· τὸν δὲ μοιχὸν, τὸν πόρνον, τὸν πλεονέκτην μετ' ἐπιταγῆς ἐπὶ τὸ